Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Minor salivary gland cancer in cats with oral masses and survival data
By Morgado Laureano, Monica et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2023·Animal Specialty & Emergency Center of Brevard, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline minor salivary gland adenocarcinoma: retrospective case series and literature review.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 9 to 15-year-old cat was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called salivary gland adenocarcinoma, which caused oral masses in the mouth. Three of the four affected cats underwent surgery aimed at completely removing the tumor, while one cat had a less extensive surgery due to the cancer spreading too much. Despite surgery, all four cats were eventually euthanized because the cancer returned and their quality of life declined. The study suggests that early and aggressive surgical treatment may help improve the cats' quality and length of life, but the risk of recurrence remains high.
People also search for: cat oral mass treatment · salivary gland cancer in cats · cat cancer surgery outcomes
Abstract
CASE SERIES SUMMARY: Salivary gland adenocarcinoma, of major or minor salivary gland origin, is an uncommon tumor in cats. This article describes the clinical features, morbidity and survival rates of four cats with salivary gland adenocarcinoma arising from minor salivary gland tissue. Medical records from a private multicenter dentistry and oral surgery practice were reviewed for the period between 2007 and 2021. Four cats were included in this retrospective case series study, with oral masses on either the right or left caudal mandibular labial buccal mucosa. The inclusion criteria included a diagnosis of salivary gland adenocarcinoma in an anatomical location with lack of involvement of a major salivary gland, complete medical history and a follow-up of at least 6 months. The age range of the cats was 9-15 years; three of the cats were castrated males and one was a spayed female. Curative intent surgery was performed in three cats, whereas palliative surgery (debulking) owing to extensive soft tissue invasion was performed in one cat. Survival times were in the range of 210-1730 (mean 787) days. All four cats were euthanized owing to local recurrence and decreased quality of life, regardless of treatment modality. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: There are limited documented studies reporting the prevalence of salivary gland neoplasia affecting minor disseminated glands in the oral cavity of feline patients. Salivary gland adenocarcinoma should be a differential in cats presenting with caudal labial masses. Surgical resection has been the recommended treatment for salivary gland neoplasia of major salivary gland origin. According to this current case series, we propose that early aggressive surgical treatment with wide surgical margins should be performed for cats with salivary gland adenocarcinoma of minor salivary gland origin. Surgery increased the quality and duration of life; however, each patient was euthanized owing to local recurrence and morbidity.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37606891/